Ambersight Elf
The Ambersight Elves (in Elven, literally the Clan of the Radiant Iris) are a clan of Elves whose origins extend back to ancient times. They were the first to study Dark Magic and let it loose throughout Cartham. The Ambersight descend from a band of Elves that moved eastward into the Gladmoran plain and began constructing what would become the city of Labhruinn. Their empire would last only a decade before the War of the Serpent, when the Ambersight came into horrific conflict with the Royal Fischbach family to avenge the death of their late Queen Ianira. The survivors of the war came to despise the royal family and Humans as a whole, forming the basis of deep grudges and hostilities that would last for over a thousand years. The Ambersight Elves have since become somewhat of an isolationist culture. They prefer self-sufficiency and tend toward tradition rather than progress. History Emergence of the Ambersight Around year 13, a tribe of Elves came to settle on the banks of the River Bas in the center of the Gladmoran plain, east of Cartham City. Shortly after the first empress took the throne, her entire family was slaughtered by a family of Dark Mages who then declared themselves the leaders of the clan. Ten years later, the walls of Labhruinn were raised to protect the fledgling race from the terrible storms that swept across the Gladmoran. With the introduction of dark magic into their culture, the Ambersight's civilization expanded both culturally and territorially. Their temples, roads, and homes stretched across the Gladmoran. One notable village was that of Coileach, where the first Cockatrice was bred. The lavish castle Ravenspire was constructed on an artificial plateau shortly before the other clans of Elves began to take notice of the Ambersight Elves' manipulation of what they considered to be divine magic. First Elven War War erupted in Year 25 between the Ambersight and their Elven brethren. Each clan of Elves believed themselves to be the rightful rulers of Cartham. This conflict would lay the groundwork for the rift between the Ambersight and the other clans of Elves. Notably, the Warthorn Elves fought on the side of the Ambersight. At the end of the war, the Human Fischbach family was elevated to royal status to promote an unbiased government. The Ambersight were perhaps the most enraged by this decision, considering they believed themselves to be greater than their Elven brethren, and certainly above the unevolved Humans. A distinct change befell the Ambersight. The haughty, aloof upper class became increasingly callous and cruel toward people of all other races and clans. War of the Serpent In Year 50, the Ambersight Queen Ianira was murdered. The Ambersight masses were enraged at the suspicious death of their beloved leader, and vowed revenge on King Oliver Fischbach I and his family, whom they deemed responsible. The other clans of Elves once again attempted to put an end to the Dark Magic that appeared to be corrupting their Ambersight brethren. War broke out once more, embroiling the Ambersight in horrific combat for two years. The Pixiefoot Elves and the Fischbachs remained neutral in the conflict until the end of the war. The Human interference caused the ruin of Labhruinn, further embittering the Ambersight. To add insult to injury, King Aleron and Princess Tourmaline were forced to pledge loyalty to the Royal Family of Cartham. The Gladmoran plain was no longer its own sovereign state, and House Ambersight was made to answer to the Human royal family. Queen Tourmaline Queen Phaidra Queen Kalonice Queen Faline Era of Rebellion Era of Peace King Lycidas Queen Lorelei Queen Ceiridwen Era of Reconstruction The Great War Culture & Characteristics Faith The Ambersight Elves believe in the Goddess, though they also believe in several demigods who helped shape the world. Ambersight religion is polytheistic, though the Goddess stands far above all other beings. The Ambersight also revere their ancestors and their beloved Queen Ianira, who act as intermediaries between the Elves and the Goddess. This worship takes the form of offerings, traditionally the burning of a poisonous herb that creates noxious fumes as it is devoured by flame. Because flowering plants are hard to come by due to the Wastelands' harsh climate, offerings of flowers and fruits are also common. Every Ambersight Elf possesses some talisman to their Gods. These talismans tend to be ornate, and are worth quite a lot to Human art collectors. Origins Long ago, a tribe of nocturnal Elves came to live on the banks of the River Bas in the center of the Gladmoran plain, and several centuries of war and inbreeding has caused the Ambersight to be distinguishable from their Elven brethren. Gender roles As Elven society is matriarchal in nature, women tend to hold more power than men. Aging Reunification Government Warfare The aggressive cultural attitudes of the Ambersight Elves, along with their natural agility and grace, makes for formidable martial traditions. As such, the Ambersight Elves tend to be more well-versed in hand-to-hand combat than most other clans of Elves, and have developed some specialty martial forms over time. The Ambersight Elves also have differing gestures and traditions from many other clans of Elves. Their gesture of peace is crossed arms, and the gesture of surrender is dropping to one knee, and letting any weapons fall before the being one submits to. Disarming an opponent and then ceasing the fight is also considered to be an indication of peaceful intent. Conflict with the Royal Family Interactions with the Beasts Gladmorian descendants Languages The primary language of the Ambersight Elves is Elven. Most Ambersight Elves have also learned Carthian. They pronounce their "r" sounds with a distinct "rgr" sound. Their "e" sounds tend to be sustained, and short "i" sounds more like "ee". They do not stress any syllables when they speak, instead giving each syllable the same amount of stress. The "th" sound sounds more like "dz". The last syllable of a sentence is always stressed, and the voice's pitch raises. The "h" sound is silent. Naming The Ambersight bastard surname is Storm. * Popular male names: Edmond, Gaspare, Girard, Henri, Jacques, Jean, Jerome, Lucien, Valentine * Popular female names: Anastasie, Angelique, Antoinette, Fleur, Lucrezia, Narcissa, Rosa, Valerie * Common surnames: Beaux, Delacroix, du Pompadour, Lessard, LeTourneau, Morvant, Poisson Technology Cuisine Customs Notes on culture Ambersight Elves are the most ambitious Elves, and seek power more fervently than other Clans. They are more stubborn than the other Clans, and will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Ambersight tend to be ambitious, shrewd, cunning, and strong leaders, and are often achievement-oriented. They have highly developed senses of self-preservation. They often hesitate before acting to weigh all outcomes before deciding what should be done. They are described as being clever, resourceful, determined, and have "disregard for the laws of the land." The Ambersight are known for their strong belief system in blood purity and their staunch stance against interbreeding between races. Their interbreeding rates are extremely low as a result, and they value their bloodlines above all else. Ambersight Elves are often aligned with Dark Magic, though not all Ambersight practice Dark Magic. Many of the other Clans of Elves spurn them, believing them to have betrayed them during the First Elven War. They have a very nasty reputation, and it is widely believed that all Dark Mages are descended from Ambersight Elves, though this is not the case at all. The Ambersight Elves have superior night vision, and can move almost silently and blend into shadows with ease. Highly coordinated and ambidextrous, they are formidable foes. They enjoy giving and receiving messages, especially those infused with scents. They are also known to enjoy magic and exalt in learning new spells. Above all, the Ambersight Elves love beauty, including the beauty of sculpture and made items, especially weapons. They also enjoy the beauty of the body, and Ambersight Elves of both sexes are proud of displaying their physiques. All children exhibiting any physical deficiency are slain or sacrificed. The poor of Labhruinn have been known to be particularly susceptible to addiction to poisons and toxins, sold in illicit stores throughout the Clochard District. As such, some Ambersight Elves have a high resistance to poisons. The Ambersight Elves tend to be seen as a dour and serious lot. They rarely express emotion to others or in public situations. They believe themselves to be the chosen defenders of Elven culture and tradition, chosen by the Goddess herself. They take this task very seriously, and as such, they have developed a society with strict codes of behavior and honor. These practices may appear harsh, cruel, and arbitrary to outsiders, but are felt necessary by the Ambersight Elves, to ensure the survival of the Elven way of life. The Ambersight Elves are the least tolerant of other races, and they take pains to ensure that they are secluded from all, sometimes even other Elves. Only the mightiest of Mages of other races are allowed within their citadels, and even these are greeted with suspicion. Because of their reverence for the sanctity of Elven blood, the Ambersight have striven to maintain their original ideals. They consider themselves to be the purest form of all Elves. They believe that, since other Elves do not concern themselves with maintaining their purity, their role in the Elven world is less than that of the Ambersight. These Elves feel that they are the "true" Elves and that the others are somehow lesser variations. The Ambersight staunchly believe this to be true, despite the fact that they are an offshoot of the original Elven line. Interestingly enough, most Elves do not readily befriend Ambersight Elves, for they see the Ambersight as far too serious and arrogant. Indeed, some Elves think the Ambersight clan is far closer to the word "Human" than "Elf". They think the Ambersight have lost the Elven joy of life. The Ambersight thirst for power, which makes them unpopular with other Elves. They possess a realism which borders on pessimism. They do not see beauty in much except death, an area with which they are infatuated. Necromancy is one of the many types of magic the Ambersight practice. They see death as a final release from their "hellish" existence, one plagued with greedy fools and unclean beasts. Ambersight Elves dislike most things, and are considered depressing by most they encounter. The Ambersight shun contact with the outside world, preferring to keep to themselves in most affairs. They do trade with the people of other regions, and so have learned to tolerate Humanity's unbearable happiness. They dislike most other Elves and despise Humans, as both races have a pleasant outlook on life, which the Ambersight find absolutely sickening. Physical appearance Ambersight Elves usually have a marking on their skin, similar to Human birthmarks, that distinguish them from other Elves. All pure-blooded Ambersight have either white or black hair. Their skin is very wan or pale, and is unable to tan no matter how long they are in the sun. Their skin tends to have an almost corpse-like pallor to it. Ambersight Elves tend to be very slight of build and have delicate fingers and toes. Their features are sharp and their ears are pointed and large. They usually do not begin to show their age until well after their 600th year. Their architecture is Gothic-Victorian in style, though it is often in disrepair. Grand embellishments and ivy are common on their structures, used to hide the structural damage and draw attention away from it. The usual Ambersight clothes includes finely tailored silks, black boots, ankle-length silk black cloaks, and very fine, mesh chain armors of exquisite workmanship. Their clothes are often very elegant and expensive, and often embellished to show status. Their obsession with death means that they prefer colors of mourning. Deep blue, grays and black are all favored dress amongst the Ambersight. Those of noble birth wear a deep green, which borders on black. They value jewelry, not only for its beauty, but because when buried, it is a mark of one's power to have vast wealth with which to be interred. They are usually represented by a serpent and the colors green, silver and black. Golden eyes Before the First Elven War, golden eyes were extremely rare across Cartham, even among the fledgling clan of Elves. Golden eyes thus came to be regarded as a sign of future greatness. Early members of House Ambersight had such unusual eyes. Golden eyes quickly became more common, as it was an extremely desirable trait. Nowadays, all pure-blooded Ambersight Elves bear blazing golden eyes. Notables Leadership * ?-50- Queen Ianira and King Aleron * 50-107- Queen Tourmaline * 107-220- Queen Phaidra * 220-?- Queen Kalonice * ?- Queen Faline * ?-848?- King Lycidas * ?-920- Queen Lorelei * 920-992- Queen Ceiridwen * 992-1083- Arpazia and Sylvain Blackwell * 1083-present- Phrowenia and Luthien La Valentine Noble houses * La Valentine * Blackwell * Trique * Deleau * Salvatore * Lallement * Poisson * Deshoulières * DeLuc * Moreau * Delamare * Montagne * Duquette * Boudreaux * Barnave * Tussand * Bourignon * Lefèvre * LeBeau * Baudelaire Factions and allies * Giants * Goblins * Ogres * Trolls Known Ambersight Elves Main page: Known Ambersight Elves * Valeria La Valentine * Violet La Valentine * Phrowenia La Valentine * Luthien La Valentine * Ceodore Herriot * Sylvain Blackwell * Cadmus Lallement * Ianira * Cephas Poisson * Xenophas Delamare * Isidora Leduc * Cassander Guyard * Philetus Voltaire * Pearl Bloodroot * Electra Blanchet Known Part-Ambersight Elves * Vesperia Herriot * Thea Breedlove Category:Ambersight Elves